The invention relates to an article-handling apparatus and particularly to an apparatus for loading and emptying pallets. Article-handling apparatus have been provided heretofore for automatically placing articles like boxes on a pallet and for removing such articles from a pallet. Such apparatus can comprise a slide, movable horizontally towards and away from a stack of packages, a movable driven surface, defined by a roller rotatable about a horizontal axis, the roller being resiliently mounted on the slide and a driven conveyor means mounted on the slide for conveying the packages lifted by the roller.
While these apparatus could be used for stacking articles on and destacking articles from pallets, difficulties could be met when the articles were irregularly stacked, of uneven shape or when the apparatus where not moved perpendicular to the facing side wall of the articles.
The object of the invention is to provide an article-handling apparatus of the type mentioned that can more reliably remove packages from a loaded pallet without damaging the packages. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved article-handling apparatus which can easily be used.
Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.